The FBI tracked the locations of Republican senators as part of a sweeping surveillance effort during former special counsel Jack Smith‘s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said Tuesday, fueling concerns over political targeting that took place under the Biden administration.
“I believe they also tracked our location over a period of days,” Hawley said in an interview with Fox News. “This is outrageous. I mean, this is really unbelievable. It’s blatantly unconstitutional. It’s a violation of the First Amendment. It’s a violation of the separation of powers.”
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Hawley, who was among the nine lawmakers whose phone records were obtained through the FBI’s Arctic Frost operation, said he and his colleagues were targeted because of their political affiliation and role in challenging the 2020 election certification. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) made public the years-old surveillance scheme on Monday.
“We need a total investigation into everybody who was responsible,” he said. “And I think there needs to be prosecutions.”
Hawley demanded answers during a fiery exchange at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, during which Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to discuss the surveillance in detail but pledged to investigate.
“Who ordered the tapping of the phones of United States senators?” Hawley asked. “You’re going to get to the bottom of all of it?”
“I cannot discuss the details of that right now for very good reason,” Bondi responded. “But I’ve spoken to [FBI] Director [Kash] Patel about it. He is committed to doing this.”
In a post to X, Patel said, “This FBI discovered and exposed the weaponization of law enforcement. We are ON IT.”
This @FBI discovered and exposed the weaponization of law enforcement.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 7, 2025
We are ON IT https://t.co/Py9q56iVnF
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino briefed senators on Monday on newly discovered records showing that Smith’s team, during its investigation into Jan. 6, obtained tolling data from major phone carriers on sitting members of Congress through the FBI when it was under the direction of former Director Chris Wray. The data included call logs showing the timing, origin, and destination of communications for at least nine Republican senators and one House Republican, covering the period from Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, 2021.
Other Republicans on the committee pressed Bondi further. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) walked her through a pointed hypothetical.
“Let’s suppose I’m appointed special counsel … and I go to AT&T and say, ‘I want to see the phone records of a sitting United States senator,'” Kennedy said.
Bondi replied that such a move would require legal authorization and appropriate oversight.
“You would have to go through the normal course, and I would expect you to go to a court, get approval, and also notify someone in supervisory capacity in the Department of Justice,” she said.
JACK SMITH TRACKED CALLS OF GOP SENATORS DURING JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION, FBI REVEALS
The disclosure follows additional whistleblower revelations from last month that the Arctic Frost investigation also investigated conservative nonprofit organizations, including Turning Point USA, the Republican National Committee, and other conservative political organizations. Smith’s investigations have drawn scrutiny for their scale, timing, and for racking up more than $50 million in taxpayer costs.
“This goes to show you the extent to which the Biden administration was so corrupt — using the FBI to target their political enemies,” Hawley said.